Apparatus for cracking off and handling continuously-formed sheet



March 8,1927. ,`2,0l4

A. E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OFF AND HANDLlNG CONTINUOUSL'Y FORMED SHEET GLASS INVENTOR March 8, 1927.

A. E. EVANS APPARATUS OR CRACKING OFF AND HANDLING CONTINUOUSlJY F'ORMED SHEET GLASS Filed July 2o, 1926 5 Sheets-Shea?l 2 R O T N E V m 1,620,014 March 8 1927 A. E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR (TRACKING OFF AND HANDLING CONTINUOUSLY FORMED SHEET GLASS Filed July 2o, 1925 5 sheets-Sheet March 8,1927. l 1,620,014

A. E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OFF AND HANDLING: CONTINUOUSLY FORMED SHEET GLASS' Filed July 20, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR March 8, 1927.

A. E. EVANS APPARATUS FOR GRACNING OFF AND HANDLING coNTINuoUsLY FORMBD SHEET GLASS Filed July 20,1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 QM@ fpm.

Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITE!) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`ALBERT E. EVANS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, fiSSGNOR T PITTSBURGH :PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR CRACKING OFF AND HANDLING GUNTTN'UOUSLY-FORMEI) SHEET GLASS. i

Applicationled July 20, 1926. Serial No. 123,639.

The invention relates to apparatus for cracking olf and handling the sections of a continuously formed sheet or ribbon of glass at the outlet end of the leer through which the ribbon or sheet is carried. 'ln the principle of its operation, it is similar to the apparatus of my Patent No. 1,569,0? 9 of January 12, 1926, but includes a further iinprovement adapting the apparatus to the handling of very wide sheets of glass. W'hen suchv sheets are placed upon the surfacing tables, which are mounted for movement parallel with the path of movement of the ribbon, it is necessary to shift them to a position at right angles to the position which they occupy when they are cracked oil, and the present improve-ment provides the means whereby the sheets may be shifted upon the table through the 90 degree angle easily and conveniently preliminary to transferring them laterally to the cutting tables, lying alongside the cracking off table, as shown and described in my patent above referred to. One embodiment of the invention is illust-rated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, somewhat diagrammatic, showing the construction. Fig. 2 is a section on the line I-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 and Fig. 34 are together a partial section and partial side elevation on the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4i is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line V--V of Fig. 1. And Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1, 1, etc. are the driven rolls at the outlet end of the leer (not shown), which carry the continuous sheet or ribbon onto the cracking off table to the right of such rolls. The table includes a vertically movable section 2, which receives the end of the ribbon or sheet, and a fixed table or section to which the sheet is transferred when the section 2 is lowered after the cracking oif operation, the construction, in this particular case, following that of my patent heretofore referred to. The tired section or table is made up of the parallel driven shafts 3, 8, 8, etc., each provided with the plurality of rollers 4, 4, l1, etc. l/Vhen theftable or section 2 is lowered to transfer the sheet to the rollers 4;. 1, 11, the rotation ofthese rollers carries the sheet laterallyfrom the table onto a cutting table located at one side upon which the sheet is trimmed. The shafts 8, 8, 3, ete. are provided at their ends with spur gears 5, 5, 5, etc. (Figs. 1 and 4t) and meshing with the spur gears 6, 6, 6, etc. carried by parallel countershafts 3, 7, 7 lying beneath the shafts 8. These countershafts are provided with sprockets 8, 8, 8, etc. at their ends (Figs. 1 and 5) driven by the chain 9, such chain in turn being driven from the shaft 10 having at its left hand end a sprocket 11 driven by the chain 18. rlhe. chain 18 is driven from the countershaft 14, which receives its driving power from the motor 15 through the intermediary of the reduction gears 16 and 17.

The movable table or section 9. is made up of a plurality of longitudinally extending angles 18, 18, 1 8, etc. and transverse angles 19, 19 at the ends of the table. The table is supported and moved vertically by three pairs of lever arms at each end of the table,

the arms at the right hand end of the table being indicated by the numerals 2O and those at the left hand end by the numerals 21. The levers 21 are mounted upon a transverse shaft 22 having keyed thereto the lever arm 23, and this lever arm is operated from the handle 24 by means of the connecting` rod 25 and crank 25 carried by the hollow shaft 25h to which the handle 9A; is keyed. The levers 20 are mounted upon a transverse shaft 26 and have their upper ends provided with rollers 27 adapted to ride in the slots 28 on the lower side of the table frame. These levers 2O are swung by means of the lever 29 lreyed to the shaft and connected by means of the rod 30 with a cranlr 80a carried by the shaft 80h. rlhe shaft 36h is operated by the handle 81. In operation, after the glass sheet has been received upon the table section 2, the levers 2O are swung forward, thus causing the table to tilt downwardly at its forward end, so that the weight of the glass cracks the sheet off at its rear end above the roll 39., such glass having been previously scored along the line, at which it is desired to have it separated. After this tilting movement, the levers 21 are swung forward to move the table forward bodily and give clearance between the rear end of the sheet and the front end of t-he oncoming ribbon or sheet.

Mounted between the pairs of longitudinally extending angle irons 18, 18, etc. are

Cil

vv uppermost and engage and support the glass,

andl i-n another position, the rolls 36 are uppermost and engage and support the glass; Then the units are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the rollers 36 are uppermost. This set 0f rolls have their planes of. rotation parallel to the line of movement of the glass and are em alo ed to su `mort the @lass as it L TD moves onto'the table preliminary to the crac-hing off operation.` The other set of rolls have their axes of rotation arranged radially with respect Ato the conter point 37 of the table. andthese rolls come into play when it is desired to rotate the sheet about itsaxes A9() deg-rees, the roller units being shifted at thisftime so that therollers are uppermost, andthe rollers S6 are out of eng-gagement With the glass. ln order to sivin'g'the 'roller units, the .levers 34 are con.- nected tothe parallel bars 38, '38, eteextend inglongitudinally of the table and connected at-thleir rear ends to a transverse shaft 39. This shaft is connected to a suitable lever 40 carriedbya transverse shaft 41e, 'bya bar 40band lthe lever 40 is operated from a crank 41 by meansof the connecting rod 42. The 4shaft 43 which Carries the crank 41 is supported in a laterally extending bracket 44 and is provided at its end With a hand lever 45 for rotating the shaft. This arrangement brings the three'operating handles 24, 31 and 45 in proximity so that they may be 'com veniently operated by the Workman in con-- trol.

K The parts are illustrated in the position yoccupied preliminary to cracking off a sheet of glass.

l-Vhen the sheet has moved over the table section 2 upon the rollers 36,V and the scored line -acrossrthe sheet arrives adjacent the rear end of the table, the lever 31 isoporated to swing the levers 2() forward and cause the table to tilt, thus cracking the sheet off by reason of its Weight. The 'lever 24 1s then lmoved forward swinging the levers 21 forward and carrying the table section 2 forward and downward.l The sheet' of `glass is now substantially level and below the 'level previous to cracking off. The lever 45 is now swung' downto move Ythe connecting rods 38 to the left, `which moven'lent trfans-ifersv the weight of the sheet from the rollers 36 to the rollers 35. have their axes arranged radially with respeot to the cent-efr point 87 of the table, it is new relatively easy to turn the sheet/.through all angle. 'ofQO degrees so thatit is in" tionI for movement toone side ofr the Atable and onto the trimming or cutting table.` The levers `2() and 21' arenow moved stillv farther to the right Carrying" the rollers Sivvh'ich support the sheet below the rollers 4, 4, 4,' etc.

As these rolle-rs carried bythe shafts 8, so that the Weight of the sheet is transferred to such rollers. The shafts V3 ,are driven so that when the glass is received upon the roller-s4, itis immediately moved laterally from the table on to the trimming or cutting table lying to .the side.

' This completes the cycle of operation andthe table is and the units 33 moved back to their origin-al position .by .operating the levers 24, 31 and 45. The levers 2O and 2l are yieldingly held ,inthe position shown in 2 byi'neans of the rods 20a and 21? 'and the springs 201 and 21h.

lV'hat l claim' is: Y

1. Thecombination with' `a glass handling table, of a plurality of @roller units distributed over the area of the table and yeach comprising a member o'arryirn'g-twoY rollers with their axes of rotation at an angle-gto each other, and mounted toktilt so thatrin one position of movement of thefmember, one roller lies uppermost, vand .in another position of movement, .the other roller lies uppermost, one set ofy said roller-s having their axes in parallel with one side .of the table, and the other set havin-g their axes arranged radially with respect to a common center located Within the confines of the table. i

2L Apparatus for cracking oil and handling sections of a .continuously formed horizontally 'moving glass ribbon, transversely scored to facilitate cracking off,com prising a table for receiving and supporting a glass section, `mounted foi-"vertical move-y ment so that it may be lowered below the level of the continuously formed ribbon causing the section to Crack .away fronathe ribbon, and a secondary table below the first table adaptedfto receivethe crackedof se@- tion when the first table `is lowered and provided With rollers mounted for rotation in planes at right ang-les to the line of more mentr of the ribbon, said receiving table being provided with vtwo sets'ofrollers ltelatively movable in a vertical direction so that either set'niay be made to support `the glass section, one set of such rollers having theirplanes of rotation parallel to the line of movement of the Vribbon and the vother first table adapted to: receive the cracked off section When the first table iS lowered and provided with rollers mounted for rotation in planes at right angles to the line of movement of the ribbon, said receiving table being provided With pivoted roller units distributed over the table and each having tWo rollers, one of which has its axis of rotation parallel to the direction ot travel of the glass ribbon, and the other o'l which has its axis of rotation disposed radially with respect to a center point located in the table, and means for tilting the units so that in one position the rollers having 'their axes parallel to the line of travel of the glass ribbon are uppermost, and in the other posi- 15 tion, the other rollers are uppermost.

4. The combination with a glass handling table, of two sets of rollers carried thereby and relatively movable in a vertical direction, so that either set may he made to support a glass sheet,kone set of such rolls having their axes oii' rotation parallel to one side of the table, and the other set having their axes disposed radially with respect to a common center located within the contines of the table.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3rd day olf J une, 1926.

ALBERT E. EVANS. 

